How to Keep Your House in Order

September 03, 2018

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Chaos may be a ladder but order is divine. Creating and keeping your home organised requires getting rid of unnecessary clutter and ensuring that each item has its place. While this minimalist aesthetic is appealing to many, few people actually live by its principles. It’s not about living with only the clothes on your back and your belongings in one bag. It’s about needing the things you have and having things you love. As a result, order will inevitably be restored. If that sounds good, here are six tips to help you create order in your home and fill your life with joy:

1. Rethink future purchases

If you wish life was lighter, then it’s time to shake off some extra baggage - literally. Decluttering isn’t a mammoth effort, it’s a pattern of small but significant actions. Think of it as a two way street: inflow and outflow. The first step is inflow. Begin by slowing down the flow of things entering the home and you’ll disarm the creeping clutter. If you’re not sure about a purchase, ask yourself:

Does this bring me genuine joy?

Does it serve a unique function?

Will it still bring me joy in a few months, after the honeymoon period is over?

If you answer ‘no’ to any of the questions, do not buy it.

2. Omit needless objects

The second step is outflow. This is where you must remove needless “stuff” that is already lying around in the home. To help you identify what is useful and what is baggage, we recommend the Four Seasons Principle. Take the things you haven’t used in the past twelve months and lay them out in front of you. Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter have come and gone, and these items have not once been needed. It can be scary saying goodbye to some items but you need to be ruthless. Needless things do not serve you and never will. Let them go.

3. Create a system

Give everything a rightful place. It’s not about complete perfectionism or colour coordination. This step is about knowing exactly where to find the thing you need and where to return it to, so that it can be easily found again next time. And no ‘organised chaos’ is not a system. This system is particularly important in a family home, where someone else might need it next. Order fosters cleanliness, while clutter harbours dust, dirt and cockroaches. By freeing up space, you or your cleaner can create a healthy living space, full of things you truly love.

Ever wondered why you seem to spend every weekend or for some of you ‘month’ cleaning? The best way to avoid spending too much time cleaning is to develop a solid cleaning routine - and sticking to it. Over time, cleaning will simply be a small task you do regularly rather than a massive chore you need to set aside a weekend for. Which leads us into the more lasting practices that take time and effort to develop but are well worth it.

4. Identify bad habits

Whether it’s pressing snooze five times or using your floor as a wardrobe, habits are hard to crack. That’s why cleaning and creating order in your home all too quickly become points of procrastination and shapeshift into dreaded “shoulds” that haunt your day. Doing simple tasks such as putting clothes in the wardrobe only have the chance to cause trouble if we don't continually do them. Start with simple acts that you can turn into routine. For example, instead of peeling and kicking your shoes off every time you return home, take them off and place them as a pair where they should be stored. Catching bad habits and addressing them slowly and one by one each time ingrains a reflex and builds your willpower.

5. Create a schedule

We’re all creatures of habit and routines are what make us tick. So right now, take out your diary or open your calendar oh your phone. Pick a time in your week when you’re usually doing bits and bobs at home anyway, and lock it in as the first of many dates with cleaning. Congratulations, you’re now on track to creating the clean home you’ve always wanted! These regular cleaning dates with your home will make tidying up a barely audible tick in the pleasant clockwork of your life. Doesn’t that sound more fulfilling than a mediocre date?

6. Find a friendly, trustworthy and effective helper

If you don’t have time to clean, simply delegate the task to a family member or hire a professional cleaner like Cleaning Ease. With your cleaner coming for just a few hours each week, they will soon become a cherished thread in the fabric of your life. Friendly helpers like us love cleaning and we blend into your space, making it possible for you to get on with your priorities while we restore beauty and order to your home.